No one in the Mahoning Valley expected the biggest rock star in the world to be an ally. But that’s what occurred when Bruce Springsteen released “The Ghost of Tom Joad” on Nov. 21, 1995.
Among its dozen tracks was “Youngstown,” which, in less than four minutes, encapsulated the origins, boom and fall of the area’s steel industry.
Eric Simione, manager of Lanterman’s Mill, took a deep historical dive into the lyrics of the song during Mill Creek MetroParks’ “Winter Talks: Youngstown — The Story Behind Bruce Springsteen’s Tale of Our Hometown” Friday at the Ford Nature Center’s Education Building.
“If you go back about a decade before this, you really didn’t get much bigger or more popular than Bruce Springsteen when he was doing ‘Born in the USA.’ So, the idea that he wrote a song about Youngstown was a pretty big deal to a lot of us.”
The lecture combined past events with visuals, including several from the Youngstown Historical Center of Industry and Labor (aka Steel Museum) and personal anecdotes.
With a printout of the song’s lyrics available for attendees to follow along, Simione went through each verse. It begins by mentioning the Hopewell Furnace — located in Yellow Creek Park in Struthers — which was built in 1803 by James and Dan Heaton.
Later, the track recognizes the area’s contributions such as making cannonballs for the Union Army in the Civil War.
“Sometimes, people overlook the fact that not just Youngstown, but Ohio, in general, played such a huge role in the Civil War and the war effort for the North. The Civil War would have taken place at a time when some of the mills were just getting started. I believe there were 17 mills in Mahoning County alone,” he said.
Moving to the 20th Century, Simione brought up that there were mills running along the Mahoning River for decades until Black Monday began the closures on Sept. 19, 1977.
“Depending on how long you lived in the area, most of us probably had relatives that worked in these facilities at some point in time. They became a very prominent part of life for people in this region,” Simione said.
He referred to his grandfather, who worked at Youngstown Sheet & Tube Campbell Works and retired shortly before it closed. Showing a photo that reproduced a typical steelworker’s home with a small living room and kitchen downstairs and one bedroom / one bathroom upstairs, Simione mentioned his elder relative lived in a similar residence with four family members.
“It was a very simple and humble experience, but it was something that particular generation took great pride in because they did have shelter, these houses,” he said.
The city’s importance to manufacturing was considered so important that the Soviet Union placed it among its top targets for a nuclear strike.
“By the close of World War II, the United States was producing about two-thirds of the world’s steel supply, which is really quite prominent. Then, within the span of only 40 years we’re down to 11%.
“There’s a drastic shift that takes place that really started in the ’60s, but it was happening so slowly, nobody really noticed it,” Simione said.
He recalled his dad coming home in 1970 after serving in the U.S. Navy during Vietnam.
“Like anyone who grew up in Youngstown he figured he’d get a job at the mill, but when he went down there, he was told, ‘We’re not hiring.’ That was unheard of. So, it started before the real shutdowns.”
Simione concluded by quoting the last line of the song — “I pray the devil comes and takes me to stand in the fiery furnaces of hell” — and then said, “That is a unique line to describe what these workers went through and what they took pride in. It really embodies the spirit of Youngstown. We will do the hard work. We always have and continue to try to in the decades since these mills closed.”
The hourlong talk was bookended with live videos of Springsteen performing the song — a somber, eulogy-like, solo acoustic version taken from the musician’s concert on Jan. 12, 1996, at Stambaugh Auditorium and an emotional, angry version featuring the full E Street band from the “Live in New York City” DVD.
Springsteen continued to make “Youngstown” and the plight of workers a fixture of his setlists. According to setlist.fm, he’s performed the song 318 times around the world, most recently on Nov. 22, 2024, in Vancouver.
Despite the facts within the lyrics specifically geared toward this area, at its core the song deals with displaced workers, which makes it understandable for his international fans.
The Winter Talks lecture series continues this weekend with YSU Ward Beecher Planetarium Engineer Curt Spivey discussing the current winter night sky and recent astronomical events 6 to 7 p.m. Friday and Diana Alexander exploring the geology of Mill Creek Park 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday. For more information, go to www.MillCreekMetroParks.org.
https://www.millcreekmetroparks.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/mcmp-header.png00Mill Creek MetroParks Staffhttps://www.millcreekmetroparks.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/mcmp-header.pngMill Creek MetroParks Staff2025-02-18 09:58:112025-02-18 09:58:11Mill Creek speaker takes deep dive into Springsteen’s ‘Youngstown’
The next Regular Meeting of the Board of Park Commissioners, of Mill Creek MetroParks is scheduled for Monday, February 10, 2025, at 5:00 p.m., in the Education Building – McMahon Hall, at the MetroParks Farm, on Rt. 46, in Canfield. The agenda will be available on the website after 2:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting.
As a reminder, all weapons are prohibited inside Mill Creek MetroParks facilities. All members of the public attending the meetings will be required to pass through a metal detection device as part of MetroParks safety procedures.
https://www.millcreekmetroparks.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/mcmp-header.png00Mill Creek MetroParks Staffhttps://www.millcreekmetroparks.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/mcmp-header.pngMill Creek MetroParks Staff2025-02-07 08:14:412025-02-07 08:14:41Notice of February Board Meeting
The golf course is the biggest jewel of Mill Creek Park, attracting visitors by the tens of thousands each year.
To keep it viable, Mill Creek MetroParks made several enhancements in 2024 and also opened an indoor player development center.
The improvements to the course and the entire park system are listed in the MetroParks’ annual report, which was released Tuesday. The report is laden with facts and figures, including:
The North and South courses saw a total of 58,021 nine-hole rounds played in 2024.
The two courses also saw a total of 36,537 18-hole rounds played last year.
The par-three course at Wick Recreation Area saw 17,009 nine-hole rounds played in 2024, and 9,097 18-hole rounds.
Physical improvements to the golf course included a revamp of the South Course parking lot, which was repaved with new drainage basins and beautified with an enhanced entryway and landscaping.
The architectural design of the irrigation system for both the North and South courses was finalized over the summer in preparation for future construction.
The courses hosted three collegiate tournaments in 2024, including the American Junior Golf Association All-Star National Invitational and Preview Tournament in June. The AJGA events had a financial impact of $408,268 from hotel stays, dining, recreational spending, green fees and shopping.
The indoor player development center on the second floor of the golf course’s fieldhouse opened at the start of last year. It boasts three golf simulator bays, a putting green, a club fitting area, offices, bathrooms and storage space.
In September, the clubhouse building at Wick Recreation Area – near the par-3 course, playground, tennis courts and batting cages – reopened after receiving a $1.5 million facelift. It now has a team shop, equipment rentals, concession stand, a rental space for parties and a patio.
Mill Creek MetroParks had a total 2024 income of $19,380,187 from a tax levy, activities, gifts and grants, investment interest and other sources.
Its expenses for the year for salaries, materials and supplies, improvements, loan payments and other expenses totaled $13,570,136, leaving the system with a year-end cash balance of $5,810,051. Year-end encumbrances totaled $1,744,111, leaving an unencumbered balance of $4,065,940.
Other highlights of 2024 detailed in the report include:
Conservation: Approximately 1,900 trees were planted at the Mill Creek Wildlife Sanctuary and Vickers Nature Preserve to help reforest areas of reverting farmland. Since 2021, more than 6,000 trees have been planted.
New app: Mill Creek Metroparks launched an innovative mobile app designed to make exploring the park and its trails easier and more convenient. Powered by OuterSpatial, the app is free to download.
Sustainability: The Healthy Streams Initiative, an annual project dedicated to restoring natural flow patterns and reducing erosion along Mill Creek and its tributaries, focused on the section of Mill Creek flowing through the southern portions of the park. Last year’s work improved 5,809 linear feet of stream.
Wildlife management: The 2023-24 season marked the inaugural year for the deer management program. In total, 197 deer were harvested, 38 of which were donated to local food bands, resulting in 1,336 pounds of venison and more than 1,100 meals for those in need.
Pavilion project: A new 2,600-square-foot indoor/outdoor facility at the Vickers Nature Preserve, with banquet hall, kitchen, restrooms and a covered porch, was designed, and a contract was awarded. Construction of the $625,000 project will begin this year.
https://www.millcreekmetroparks.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/mcmp-header.png00Mill Creek MetroParks Staffhttps://www.millcreekmetroparks.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/mcmp-header.pngMill Creek MetroParks Staff2025-02-06 07:56:052025-02-06 07:56:14Mill Creek Park Outlines Golf, Other Improvements
Mill Creek speaker takes deep dive into Springsteen’s ‘Youngstown’
/in Media Coverage/by Mill Creek MetroParks StaffNo one in the Mahoning Valley expected the biggest rock star in the world to be an ally. But that’s what occurred when Bruce Springsteen released “The Ghost of Tom Joad” on Nov. 21, 1995.
Among its dozen tracks was “Youngstown,” which, in less than four minutes, encapsulated the origins, boom and fall of the area’s steel industry.
Eric Simione, manager of Lanterman’s Mill, took a deep historical dive into the lyrics of the song during Mill Creek MetroParks’ “Winter Talks: Youngstown — The Story Behind Bruce Springsteen’s Tale of Our Hometown” Friday at the Ford Nature Center’s Education Building.
“If you go back about a decade before this, you really didn’t get much bigger or more popular than Bruce Springsteen when he was doing ‘Born in the USA.’ So, the idea that he wrote a song about Youngstown was a pretty big deal to a lot of us.”
The lecture combined past events with visuals, including several from the Youngstown Historical Center of Industry and Labor (aka Steel Museum) and personal anecdotes.
With a printout of the song’s lyrics available for attendees to follow along, Simione went through each verse. It begins by mentioning the Hopewell Furnace — located in Yellow Creek Park in Struthers — which was built in 1803 by James and Dan Heaton.
Later, the track recognizes the area’s contributions such as making cannonballs for the Union Army in the Civil War.
“Sometimes, people overlook the fact that not just Youngstown, but Ohio, in general, played such a huge role in the Civil War and the war effort for the North. The Civil War would have taken place at a time when some of the mills were just getting started. I believe there were 17 mills in Mahoning County alone,” he said.
Moving to the 20th Century, Simione brought up that there were mills running along the Mahoning River for decades until Black Monday began the closures on Sept. 19, 1977.
“Depending on how long you lived in the area, most of us probably had relatives that worked in these facilities at some point in time. They became a very prominent part of life for people in this region,” Simione said.
He referred to his grandfather, who worked at Youngstown Sheet & Tube Campbell Works and retired shortly before it closed. Showing a photo that reproduced a typical steelworker’s home with a small living room and kitchen downstairs and one bedroom / one bathroom upstairs, Simione mentioned his elder relative lived in a similar residence with four family members.
“It was a very simple and humble experience, but it was something that particular generation took great pride in because they did have shelter, these houses,” he said.
The city’s importance to manufacturing was considered so important that the Soviet Union placed it among its top targets for a nuclear strike.
“By the close of World War II, the United States was producing about two-thirds of the world’s steel supply, which is really quite prominent. Then, within the span of only 40 years we’re down to 11%.
“There’s a drastic shift that takes place that really started in the ’60s, but it was happening so slowly, nobody really noticed it,” Simione said.
He recalled his dad coming home in 1970 after serving in the U.S. Navy during Vietnam.
“Like anyone who grew up in Youngstown he figured he’d get a job at the mill, but when he went down there, he was told, ‘We’re not hiring.’ That was unheard of. So, it started before the real shutdowns.”
Simione concluded by quoting the last line of the song — “I pray the devil comes and takes me to stand in the fiery furnaces of hell” — and then said, “That is a unique line to describe what these workers went through and what they took pride in. It really embodies the spirit of Youngstown. We will do the hard work. We always have and continue to try to in the decades since these mills closed.”
The hourlong talk was bookended with live videos of Springsteen performing the song — a somber, eulogy-like, solo acoustic version taken from the musician’s concert on Jan. 12, 1996, at Stambaugh Auditorium and an emotional, angry version featuring the full E Street band from the “Live in New York City” DVD.
Springsteen continued to make “Youngstown” and the plight of workers a fixture of his setlists. According to setlist.fm, he’s performed the song 318 times around the world, most recently on Nov. 22, 2024, in Vancouver.
Despite the facts within the lyrics specifically geared toward this area, at its core the song deals with displaced workers, which makes it understandable for his international fans.
The Winter Talks lecture series continues this weekend with YSU Ward Beecher Planetarium Engineer Curt Spivey discussing the current winter night sky and recent astronomical events 6 to 7 p.m. Friday and Diana Alexander exploring the geology of Mill Creek Park 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday. For more information, go to www.MillCreekMetroParks.org.
Read the original article at The Vindicator.
Notice of February Board Meeting
/in Press Releases/by Mill Creek MetroParks StaffThe next Regular Meeting of the Board of Park Commissioners, of Mill Creek MetroParks is scheduled for Monday, February 10, 2025, at 5:00 p.m., in the Education Building – McMahon Hall, at the MetroParks Farm, on Rt. 46, in Canfield. The agenda will be available on the website after 2:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting.
As a reminder, all weapons are prohibited inside Mill Creek MetroParks facilities. All members of the public attending the meetings will be required to pass through a metal detection device as part of MetroParks safety procedures.
Mill Creek Park Outlines Golf, Other Improvements
/in Media Coverage/by Mill Creek MetroParks StaffThe golf course is the biggest jewel of Mill Creek Park, attracting visitors by the tens of thousands each year.
To keep it viable, Mill Creek MetroParks made several enhancements in 2024 and also opened an indoor player development center.
The improvements to the course and the entire park system are listed in the MetroParks’ annual report, which was released Tuesday. The report is laden with facts and figures, including:
Physical improvements to the golf course included a revamp of the South Course parking lot, which was repaved with new drainage basins and beautified with an enhanced entryway and landscaping.
The architectural design of the irrigation system for both the North and South courses was finalized over the summer in preparation for future construction.
The courses hosted three collegiate tournaments in 2024, including the American Junior Golf Association All-Star National Invitational and Preview Tournament in June. The AJGA events had a financial impact of $408,268 from hotel stays, dining, recreational spending, green fees and shopping.
The indoor player development center on the second floor of the golf course’s fieldhouse opened at the start of last year. It boasts three golf simulator bays, a putting green, a club fitting area, offices, bathrooms and storage space.
In September, the clubhouse building at Wick Recreation Area – near the par-3 course, playground, tennis courts and batting cages – reopened after receiving a $1.5 million facelift. It now has a team shop, equipment rentals, concession stand, a rental space for parties and a patio.
Mill Creek MetroParks had a total 2024 income of $19,380,187 from a tax levy, activities, gifts and grants, investment interest and other sources.
Its expenses for the year for salaries, materials and supplies, improvements, loan payments and other expenses totaled $13,570,136, leaving the system with a year-end cash balance of $5,810,051. Year-end encumbrances totaled $1,744,111, leaving an unencumbered balance of $4,065,940.
Other highlights of 2024 detailed in the report include:
Read the original article at The Business Journal.